Beading Bonanza

Last week our Gourd club had a special workshop. We traveled to El Dorado Hills to CC's home and she showed us how to plan the layout, string and apply the beads to a gourd or piece of a gourd. We works on necklaces and pins. We were shown how to drill holes and add beads to a gourd bowl. And then, to top it all off, she served us a delicious lunch with a Chinese Chicken salad and Chocolate Cake for dessert. Very nice job CC. We all had a great time and we learned a lot too.

CC's cat over-saw the event, as cats do, and was always ready for a scratch behind the ear and a good conversation.

After lunch we carpools up to Diamond Springs, near Placerville. We visited a very small but overflowing bead shop and everyone went kind of crazy. You have no idea how many beads the owner has packed into this little store. I was so overwhelmed that I bought very little because I think the trick here is to come in very focused about what you need for a certain project. I had no plan , so I ended up buying a few odds and ends like some small crystals, some natural stone cabochons, a couple of crosses and some small filler beads. They are all so pretty and now all I have to do is MAKE SOMETHING. I need to get busy with some gourd work because we have some shows coming up and you can't sell what you haven't created.
The drive over there and back was just beautiful. It's a good thing I had taken two other ladies with me or I probably wouldn't had gotton there on time, if at all. I would have stopped to take photos every couple of miles. The still green hills, the contented cows, the beautiful rivers and streams and the lovely farms along the way were just waiting for me and my camera. It's dangerous when I'm by myself on a gorgeous Spring day in the Sierra Nevada foothills. I might stop and get out, walk into the hills and never be seen again.

We had a great day. The weather was beautiful and everyone had a really good time.

You have a good day too.

Vintage Thursday: Estate Sale

A couple of weeks ago I ventured out on a windy, rainy Saturday to find some treasures in our neck of the woods. My first stop was an estate sale. These are the hardest for me, but the best places to find something wonderful. I think it's because someone has died and the family is selling everything in the house. These sales seem so invasive. A lifetime of "things" that they could not take with them in death. There is a strange feeling of intrusiveness walking through someone's home. A lifetime up for sale. "Come in and take a look. Make an offer."
So, with respect for a woman I didn't know and the thought of taking care of a few of her treasures ( this is how I justify buying something here ), I meet this woman through her lifetime of collected treasures. I find a beautiful cake plate, a Tupperware container filled with small glasses and a pair of candlesticks.


Thank you, old lady that I didn't know, for a few beautiful treasures. They will be taken good care of. I promise.

Please go to Colorado Lady's blog for more great vintage things.

Wordless Wednesday: Papilio Zelicaon; The Anise Swallowtail Butterfly

Chaos Reigned for a Day

I don't usually share photos of my house unless it's in "apple pie" order (that's an old expression that I have never understood.), but I looked at all the living room furniture piled into my kitchen for the day and decided that I would show you, in the spirit of "keeping it real", the mess I had to live with today just so I could have clean carpets. We couldn't even get to the kitchen sink....
After the carpet cleaning guy left, we spent the day OUTSIDE with the dogs because we have carpet in the living room, hallway and both bedrooms and we had to let all this carpeting dry before we could walk on it or move the furniture back in. In addition to moving furniture I pruned bushes, picked some weeds and planted my gourd seedlings. The Prospector and I took turns entertaining the Pupster and taking trips to town..., once to Lowes for decorative bark, once to Taco Bell and Staples.

The carpet is so clean and it smells sooooo good. It's fluffy again and all the spots are gone. I wanted to get new carpet or wood flooring but when it cleans up this well I guess I can wait for a while longer. So..., to celebrate not spending all that money on new carpeting I went down to Staples and bought Photoshop Element 7. It was way cheaper that new carpet and now all I have to do is figure out how to use it. It says It can eliminate "unwanted elements" like power lines and people that didn't say"cheese" etc..., and add wings to my goats if I want too. Wow! Sounds like magical stuff. I wonder if it will clean the dishes that have accumulated all day out in my laundry sink. Probably not...

Spring Cleaning..., Yuk!

Having the carpet cleaned this morning so I may not be back until tomorrow. What a project this is. All the furniture has to be moved and you know how it is when you move something that has been in one place for a while: Dust bunnies and dead bugs prevail.

A Cat vs. Dog Story..., Maggie must be feeling better.

Hi Annibel. What's my pretty cat doing? Looking for a bird or a lizard? Just a little FYI for you...., we have 42 acres here. Do you have to leave half eaten lizards on the back porch steps?" Annibel rubs on Farmladys jeans and purrs. "Are you listening cat?..., Oh Annie, what am I going to do with you? She looks at Farmlady and blinks her answer, then she turns her head toward the front yard as they hear the jingle of a dog collar...., Maggie is coming around the corner of the house.

Annibel quietly retreats to the bushes and decides to try camouflage. This might have worked if Annie was green in color. Maggie may be old but she's not blind. It's not too hard to tell what's under the Escallonia brush. Maggie whines and goes behind the bush. Annibel hisses and stands her ground. Maggie barks and goes along the house toward Annibel. The cat decides, at this point, that "flight" might be her best choice and she turns tail and runs.

Trees are a cat's best defense. This may not work if being persued by a mountain lion but it worked with old Maggie girl. She barked a few times and then went back to the front porch to lay in the sun. They say that mild exercise is good for you after an operation..., helps build the immunities and you heal faster. Maggie's immune system got a real boost this morning. She must be feeling better.

Happy Mother's Day

My Mom and I ( and a cat named Puss ) many years ago.
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My mom is a never-ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. - Unknown